India shifts up a gear in as it received USD 10.3 bn of investment in the cleantech sector in 2011. This is an increase of 52 percent.

The growth was lead by solar investments. However, with adding 2,827 MW of wind energy capacity in 2011, India was rigth behind China and the US with regard to new installations. In 2012 India is able to add another 2.500 to 3.200 MW.

A substaintial increase was also reported from the on-grid solar secotr, particularly 18 MW in 2010 to around 277 MW in 2011. Estimations speak from another 500 MW to 750 MW due to solar projects in 2012.

The main type of cleantech investment is still asset financing for utility scale projects with USD 9.5 bn. An significant increase, which was more than four times higher than in 2010, was also reported in the venture capital and private equity investment sector with USD 425 m. Compared to that the equity raising due to the public market accounted only USD 201 m (USD 735 m in 2010).

The BNEF is expecting that India exceeds its goal of adding 12.4 GW of on-grid renewables during its five-year-plan, which ends in March 2012. 14.2 GW are expected.

Nevertheless, the country needs to improve the grid due to the increasing renewables sector. And still, India has even more scope for growth, because it accounts only four percent of global investment in clean energy.